Former India captain Sunil Chhetri has urged the Tata Group to reconsider its decision to end Jamshedpur FC's senior-team operations, calling the move a major setback for Indian football and warning that Tata's exit from the top tier would be a "disaster with no alternative."
Chhetri's appeal came after Jamshedpur FC confirmed it will not participate in the Indian Super League from the 2026-27 season. The decision has left the club's players and support staff facing an uncertain future and, unless reversed, will bring an end to Tata Steel's nine-season presence in India's premier football competition.
ALSO READ: Jamshedpur FC Pull Out Of Indian Super League After Missing AIFF Fee Deadline
“It takes a lot to be a stakeholder in Indian football. It has been like that for some time now. But when everything around looks like it will crumble, you bank on family to hold on to each other,” Chhetri wrote on X.
It takes a lot to be a stakeholder in Indian football. It has been like that for some time now. But when everything around looks like it will crumble, you bank on family to hold on to each other. And more often than not, it is the elders in the house that you turn to, for…
— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) August 2, 2026
Highlighting Tata's long-standing contribution to the sport through the Tata Football Academy (TFA) and later Jamshedpur FC, Chhetri described the conglomerate as one of the pillars of Indian football. While acknowledging that the decision may have been driven by commercial realities, he urged the company's leadership to look beyond financial considerations at a time when the domestic football ecosystem is already under pressure.
“To know that Jamshedpur has folded first team operations is a punch to the gut. The players and staff will be without clubs, and they might find one by the end of it all. The League will have a team less, but the season will go on,” he said. "However, not having the TATA group involved in the top tier of Indian football — that would be a disaster with no alternative."
"I understand that some tough decisions in sport are down to what makes sense in the board room. But I can only request and hope that the think tank at TATA picks their heart over head and reconsiders this call," he said. "It might be a poor business decision, but it will be the one Indian football needs the most at this hour," the former India captain concluded.
The club's withdrawal followed its failure to pay the first instalment of Rs 55 lakh required to confirm participation under the ISL's new club-led model, despite receiving an extension until July 31. Jamshedpur FC later informed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) that it would not take part in the upcoming season.
However, the participation fee was only the immediate trigger. In a communication to the AIFF, Jamshedpur Football and Sporting Private Limited Chief Executive Mukul Choudhari said the club had been unable to generate sufficient cash flow and remained heavily dependent on shareholder funding.
According to the shareholders, the current ISL model is structurally financially unviable for the foreseeable future.
The decision comes just weeks after the AIFF and ISL clubs unveiled a new structure under which clubs would collectively own the league's commercial rights, while the federation retained administrative control.
Under the revised model, clubs are expected to secure broadcasting and sponsorship revenues for a full home-and-away season. Despite the withdrawal, Jamshedpur FC said it will honour all contractual payments owed to players, coaches and support staff.
The Tata Group also confirmed that its investment in grassroots football will continue through the Tata Football Academy and other development initiatives.
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